Newspaper vending machine



Mal'Ch 2, 1950 D. D. CAMERON NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 1l, 1946 March 2l 1950 n. D. CAMERON NEWSPAPER VENDING'MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May l1, 1946 Patented Mar. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE NEWSPAPER VENDING MACHINE Daniel D. Cameron, San Francisco, Calif. Y Application May 11, 194.6, Serial No. 669,126

This invention relates to coin-controlled vending devices for dispensing newspapers or articles of a similar nature.

An object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described in which a vertically arranged stack of newspapers or the like may be progressively advanced toward an elevated -discharge openingA so that successive of the papers may be passed outwardly from the machine through said opening.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in a vending machine for newspapers or the like wherein a concealed main stack of papers and a separate display paper are contained, means for dispensing the main stack to depletion and for thereafter dispensing the separate display paper.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in apparatus of the character described wherein a stack of newspapers is forcibly urged bodily toward and to engage a' pusher device by means of which successive of the stacked papers are moved to -a dispensing position, means operative to maintain a substantially uniform pressure of the stack against the pusher device regardless of the aggregative weight of the number of papers contained in the stack.

Still another object of the invention is to provide, in a newspaper dispensing machine lwherein a pusher device serves successive papers from'a stack thereof, means capable of evaluatable adjustment and associated with said pusher device for accommodating various thicknesses of newspapers which may make up said stack from time to time.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide, in a dispensing device of the character 4described provided with a vplurality -oi dispensing openings through which sequential passage of articles contained within the device may take place, means for closing said openings between passages of articles therethrough, and further means for retaining one of said openings in closed condition during the time` required to Hpass a given number of articles through the otheropening and for conditioning the former opening for the passage of an article after said given number of articles has passed through said other opening.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the forel going, will be set forth inthe following descrip-x tion of the preferred form ofthe invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specification. It is to be understood, however, that variations in the show- 4 claims. (c1. 31a- 5.6)

ing` made by the said drawings and description may be adopted Within the scope of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of the vending machine of my invention, portions of the View being lbroken off so as to conserve space in the drawing.

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the upper portion of the structure shown in Figure 1.v

Figure 3 is a portional plan view of the hook adjustment mechanism.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view of the structure shown in Figure 3. The plane of section is indicated by the line 4--4 in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a view of the vending machine, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, illustrating the operation of the display paper ejecting mechanism.

Figure 6 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view of a portion of the vending machine. The planevin which the view is taken is indicated by the line 6 6 of Figure 5.

In the practical application of my invention shown in the views above described, I provide a cabinet, preferably constructed of sheet metal and comprisinga front panel 6, duplicated side panels '1, a top 3 and a bottom 9, all ofwhich are secured together at their respective engaging edges to form a unitary structure. The back of the cabinet comprises a door panel Il pivotally mounted, by hinges I2, to swing outwardly and upwardly from the cabinet body so as to provide therein an enlarged charging opening through which the :articles to be dispensedmay be introduced into the cabinet. A suitable lock or other means, not shown, may be provided for securing the door in closed position and to prevent unauthorized access to the interior of the cabinet. The front panel 6, in the upper portion thereof, is provided with a main delivery aperture I3 closable'bya sliding door 14, with a secondary delivery opening |16 immediately therebelow and closed by a hinged door Il and with a display window I8 covered by a sheet of glass I9 or other transparentmaterial which is secured in the window opening by clips 2| or other suitable means se,- cured to the marginal portions of the panel surrounding the latter opening. The cabinet may be of-a reasonable vertical height, so that the delivery aperture I3 is within convenient and comfortable reach of the person being served, and may be fitted with suitable ground-engaging supporting legs l22, or the legs may be dispensed with and the cabinet proper extended downwardly to engage the ground and thus increase the storage capacity of the machine.

Means are provided in the cabinet for supporting therein an orderly stack of the articles to be dispensed and for moving the stack bodily toward the delivery opening so that successive of the articles may be dispensed through said opening. Mounted on and substantially horizontally medially of the inner surface each side panel 1 is a vertically extending guide rail 23 on which is slidably mounted the complementarly grooved side bracket 24 of a pressure plate 26 on which the newspapers 21, or other similar articles to be dispensed, may be stacked as shown. Guide angles '28, also mounted on the side plates 1, are provided which slidably engage the respective vertical corners of the stack so as to maintain the articles therein in superposed registry at all times. Coil springs 2S, having their upper ends secured byanchor pins 3i or the like -to the cabinet and their lower ends attached by pins 32 or similar devices to the side brackets 24, are provided for forciblyl urging the pressure plate 26 and its associated stack of articles 21 upwardly toward the upper end of the cabinet. Thesprings are so designed that as they are extended their recoil force will slightly exceed the weight of the stack of articles carried by the pressure plate 25 so as to constantly exert an upward pressure on the stack. As the stack becomes depleted and the pressure plate rises, the weight on the plate will correspondingly decrease as will the tension in the springs as they contract. Thus, regardless of the number of articles in the stack, the upward pressure of the springs thereon will, at all times, be substantially constant. I

Means are provided for dispensing successive of the articles contained in the stack through the delivery aperture I3 and for opening and closing the door I4 preceding and following each delivery. Slidably disposed in` grooves 33 provided. in the side panels 1 and paralleling the upper surface of the uppermost article 21 in the stack, is a pusher Y plate 34 against the underside of which the stack is pushed by the upwardly urged pressure plate 2B. Mounted on the rear side of the pusher plate is a transversely extending rod 36v on the ends of which are journaled links 31 extending forwardly of the cabinet and pivotally secured to levers 38 carried by an operating shaftl 39 journaled in the cabinet just below the delivery opening I3 and having one end projecting exteriorly of the cabinet and tted with an operating lever 4I associated with coin-controlled mechanism 4'2. The latter mechanism need not be described in detail since its structure is familiar to those skilled in the vending machine art and it will suce to state that upon the insertion of the proper coin into the mechanism 42, the lever 4I will be freed to be moved through a cycle of reciprocation. The rear end of the pusher plate is provided with gripping means comprising a downwardly extending hook 43 carried by a pivot member 44 journaled on the rod 36 and operatively connected with an adjusting screw 4E mounted on and rotatable relative to the pusher plate. A dial 41 carried by the screw 4S bears indi-cia 48 registrable with a reference mark or device 49 on the pusher plate so that selective duplications of settings of the adjustingv screw may be eiected. The parts are so constructed and arranged that by manipulating the adjusting screw, the hook 43 may be made to extend as far as desired below the lower surface of the pusher plate. This provides for adjustment of the hook to compensate for changing thicknesses of papers or other articles making up the stack. Mounted for pivotal movement on the inner surfaces of the side panels 1 and positioned just above the pusher plate guides 33 are levers 5I having their forward ends pivotally connected to brackets 52 carried by the door I4 and being provided' at their rear ends with cam slots 53 in which are slidably engaged longitudinally extended end portions of the rod 35. At the start of a delivery operation, the operating handle 4I is locked by the coin-receiving mechanism 42 in ofi position and the pusher plate 34 is positioned at the rear of the cabinet with the hook 43 engaged over the rear edge of the paper 21 or other article in the stack. Upon depositing the proper coin in the mechanism 42 and pulling forwardly and downwardly on the lever 4I, the shaft 39 will be rotated to move the levers 38v forwardly of the cabinet thereby eiecting, through the links 31, a corresponding forward movement of the pusher plate 34. As the pusher plate starts its forward movement, the ends of the rod 36 will ride along the cam grooves 53 thus causing the levers 5I to pivot and to raise the door I4 so as to open the delivery opening I3. Also as the pusher plate moves forwardly the hook 43 will push the uppermost paper or article in the stack horizontally through the` delivery opening I 3 and over the delivery apron 54 to `a position sufdciently extended from the cabinet as to permit it to be grasped by thev customer and completely withdrawn Lfrom the cabinet. Return of the operating lever to-off position will cause the pusher plate to recede toward the rear of the cabinet, the hook to pass over the rear edge of the next succeeding article in the stack and the delivery opening door to close.. Pressure of the springs 29 raises the stack against the underside of the pusher plate whereupon the mechanism is conditioned for the next delivery which may be repeated until allot the articles in the stack have been dispensed through the delivery opening. y

Meansv is provided for supporting in the cabinet, and in view of prospective customers, a

sample paper or article similar to those contained in the main stack, and means is further provided for automatically conditioning mechanis-m, after the main stack of articles has been depleted, to deliver the sample article during the succeeding operation of the vending machine. Within the4 cabinet and rearwardly of the window I9 is provided a chamber 55 in which is provideda plurality of stretched ,wire supports 51 secured at their upper ends to the front panel 6 just below the secondary deliveryopening I6 and at their lower ends to a suitable supporting plate 58 attached to the' front panel and functioning as a portion of the bottom of the chamber 56. An elevator slide 59, slidably engaged with vertical rails 6I, is provided with a hook 52 extending along its lower edge and forming a furtherr portion of the bottom of the chamber 5S; Stops t3 on the rails 5I limit the downward travel of the elevator slide and a deector plate 54, having its upper Aend curving forwardly of the cabinet toward the upper side of the opening I5, forms the back of the chamber 56. The sample paper or articlel 65 may be inserted into the chamber 56 through the delivery opening I 5 and is adapted to rest therein in substantially vertical* planar relation to the window I9 and havingl its lower 4edge resting in the hook 62. The wires51 engage the front face of the paper or article and prevent .its coming in contact with the window. Brackets 61 carried at the sides of the elevator slide 59 are pivotally engaged with upwardly extending links l68 having extensions 69 at their lower ends, which engage the brackets 61 and limit the degree of tilt of the links rearwardly of the cabinet, and provided at their upper ends with cam lugs 1I having inclined surface portions 12 engageable by and cooperative with trip dogs 13 carried by and projecting upwardly from the sides ofy the pressure plate 26. Each of the links 661s provided on its forward edge with a notch 14 having hooked ends and an open throat arranged in one position of the link to pass therethrough an operating stud 16 secured to and extending horizontally from a side of the lever 38. The relationship of the parts is such that as long as any papers or other articles remain in the main stack, the lever pins 16 may pass freely into and out of the notches 14 during each delivery operation. However when the last article in the main stack hasv been delivered, as shown in Figure 3, the tripdogs 13 of the elevated pressure plate 26 will engage the cam surfaces 12 of the links 68 and will move the latter forward slightly toward the front of the cabinet. This will cause the intermediate links 11, which are pivotally connected to the links 68 and to locking levers 18 pivotally carried by the door I1 and having a notch 19 engaging an edge portion 8| of the apron 54, to move forwardly thus releasing the portion 8l from the notch 19 and unlocking the door. When the operating handle 4l is next moved forwardly, the pins 16 will engage the upper hooked portions of the notches 14. This will connect the levers and links together operatively and as the pins 16 rise along their arcuate paths of travel, the links will be drawn upwardly as will be the elevator slide 59. As soon as the elevator slide starts upwardly The door l1 will swing open. The engagement of lthe hook 62 with the article 66 will cause the latter to rise in the chamber and project outwardly thereof through the opening I6 to a position wherein it may be grasped by the customer and completely pulled from the vending machine. Release of the handle 4I will cause the parts of the mechanism to return to their normal positions of rest and will secure the door l1 in locked position.

Having thus described my invention in detail, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A vending machine having therein a main chamber provided With la, main `delivery opening and a secondary chamber provided with a secondary delivery opening adjacent said main delivery opening and further having therein a viewing window, means for supporting in said main chamber a stack of articles to be delivered successively through said main delivery opening, means for supporting in said secondary chamber and adjacent said window a single article to be delivered through said secondary delivery opening after depletion of the articles in said stack, separate doors associated with and movable to open and close said main and secondary delivery openings, pusher mechanism for successively opening said main delivery opening door and for moving therethrough an article from said stack thereof, means operative as successive articles are removed from said stack for moving said stack bodily into operative relationship with said pusher mechanism, Secondary pusher mechanism for opening said secondary delivery opening door and for moving therethrough said article contained in said secondary chamber, and means carried by said stack supporting means and engageable with said secondary pusher mechanism for conditioning said latter mechanism to eject said article from the secondary chamber. e l

2. A vending machine having therein a main chamber provided with a main delivery opening and a secondary chamber provided with a secondary delivery opening adjacent said main delivery opening and further having therein a viewing window, means for. supporting in said main chamber a stack of articles to be delivered successively through said main delivery opening, means for supporting in said secondary chamber and adjacent said window a single article to be delivered through said secondary delivery opening after depletion of the articles in said stack, separate doors associated with and movable to open and close said main and secondary delivery openings, separate means to lock the respective doors in closed position, separate pusher mechanisms for moving through the respective delivery openings the uppermost article in said stack and the article contained in said secondary chamber, respectively means associated with the respective pusher mechanisms for unlocking and opening the respective doors, means for moving said stack bodily into operative relationship with the pusher mechanism associated therewith, and means carried by said stack moving means and engageable with an element of one of said pusher mechanisms for positioning said element to establish interengagement and cooperative relationship between said pusher mechanisms.

3. A vending machine having therein a main chamber provided with a main delivery opening and a separate secondary chamber provided with a secondary delivery opening and a viewing window associated with said secondary chamber, a pressure plate mounted to move in said chamber toward said main delivery opening and on which a stack of superimposed articles to be dispensed may rest, spring-pressed means for urging said pressure plate and the stack of articles carried thereby toward said main delivery opening, means to support a single article to be dispensed in said secondary chamber and in position to be viewed through the window thereof, movable doors associated with and for opening and closing the respective delivery openings, reciprocable pusher mechanism associated with said stack of articles and movable toward said main delivery opening f for moving therethrough successive articles from the top of said stack, means carried by said stack pusher mechanisms for engaging the uppermost article in said stack during each reciprocation of the pusher and mechanism, means for opening the door associated with the main delivery opening prior to reciprocation of the stack pusher mechanism and for closing and locking said door after said reciprocation, pusher mechanism in said secondary chamber engaging and for moving the article in said latter chamber toward and through said secondary delivery opening, means carried by said pressure plate and engageable with an element of said secondary chamber pusher mechanism for interlocking said mechanisms for concurrent operation, and means operative by and upon movement of said secondary chamber pusher mechanism for unlocking the delivery opening door of said secondary chamber.

4. A vending machine having therein a main chamber provided with a main delivery opening and a separate secondary chamber provided with a secondary delivery opening and a viewing window associated with said secondary chamber, a pressure plate mounted to move in said chamber toward said main delivery opening and on which a stack of superposed articles to be dispensed may rest, spring-pressed means -for urging said pressure plate and the stack of articles carried thereby toward said main delivery opening, means to support a single article to be dispensed in said secondary chamber and in position to be viewed through the window thereof, movable doors asso ciated with and for opening and closing the respective delivery openings, reciprccable pusher mechanism associated with said stack of articles and movable toward said main delivery opening for moving therethrough successive articles from the top of said stack, means carried by said stack pusher mechanisms for engaging the uppermost article in said stack during each reciprocation of the pusher and mechanism, means for adjusting said engaging means to compensate for differences in vertical thickness in individual stacked articles, means operative by said reciprocable pusher mechanism for openingk the door associated with the main delivery opening, pushermecha-nism including a connecting linkin said secondary chamber engaging and for moving the article inA said secondary chamber toward and through said secondary delivery opening, said connecting link having a cam lug thereon, a-:dog carried by said pressure plate and engageablewith the cam lug of the connecting link, when said stack oi articles has been depleted, for moving the connecting link into a position wherein it-is engaged by and upon movement of the stack pusher mechanism, and latch mechanism nor,- mally maintaining said secondary delivering opening door in closed position operative by and upon movement of said secondary chamber push.- er mechanism for unlocking said secondary delivery opening door.

DANIEL D. CAMERON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are 'of record in the le oi this patent: l.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 953,451 Wesser Mar. 29, 1910 1,135,802 Hotaling Apr. 13,1915 1,506,813 Camelo et a1 Sept. 2, 1924 1,817,740 Dunn Aug. 4, 1931 1,853,926 Parfett Apr. 12, 1932 

